


Missed Chances

by muuchan



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Amnesia, M/M, onesided pining?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-15 13:26:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1306510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muuchan/pseuds/muuchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fic for the t & b kink meme. De-anoning to continue (and hopefully finish) here :)</p>
<p>"Nearly two and a half years after Tiger's disappearance, a couple comes to Sternbild to find a nice little apartment and get married. Except one of the men in this relationship, is none other than Kotetsu, but he has no memories of being a hero or working at HeroTV. Who is this man who looks and acts like their friend, but isn't?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I sat on this for two years (and was stuck on the seventh chapter) for the longest time. But! I finally decided to just post it up here so I won't be able to stop looking at it and prodding myself until I finished it. I actually have a (sort of) idea how to finish this now.... I'll be posting up the other chapters as I do light edits on them and hopefully I'll be done with the seventh chapter by then (fingers crossed). 
> 
> Warning, there will be plot holes ahead that I may or may not be able to patch! But I really want to finish it so.... on and on I go! Also this work is currently hugely un-beta'd so apologies for any grammatical errors and whatnot. 
> 
> The original prompt is [here](http://t-and-b-anon.dreamwidth.org/3254.html?thread=4122038#cmt4122038).

_"Wild Tiger's made it on the second floor! Will he be able to save the boy? To our viewers watching, Wild Tiger's powers have gone from five minutes to a minute since his debut. Since he's used his powers to get to where he is now, he literally has nothing to protect himself from the fires but his suit. Even so, it looks like nothing’s going to be stopping Wild Tiger! This last victim has been particularly difficult to rescue with him refusing the Ice Princess' help earlier… but now that Wild Tiger's on the scene, we're confident he'll definitely have no choice but to yield--  
  
Haha, that's right. Though that probably means what's left of that building will crumble at his force.  
  
Crusher of Justice indeed!"_  
  
Barnaby sat back in his chair as he watched this scene closely. There had been some concern that the boy was NEXT, though none could confirm _what_ his powers were exactly. Blue Rose was able to recall, however, how the boy had a glow about him, and how he'd refused to accept her touch, or even come close. It was as if he'd been too afraid to. They didn't think much of it then.  
  
 _"We can't get any closer, but it looks like Tiger is talking with the boy-- Ah! He took his hand! And now, using his wires, he swings with the boy away to safety! A hundred points to Wild Tiger!_  
  
Barnaby cut the video short there, knowing already what he'd see: Kotetsu giving the camera thumbs-up while he carried the boy towards the waiting ambulance so he could join the other survivors of the fire. The NEXT-related glow around the boy would have disappeared by then too, a minor detail that continued to nag at the back of Barnaby's mind two years later.  
  
He closed his eyes and soon familiar opera music filled the apartment.  
  
That was the last episode Wild Tiger was in. The day after that episode was aired, he went on a trip to his home town for his mother's sixtieth birthday. Kotetsu had asked him if he wanted to come then, Barnaby would always remember, and he'd declined his offer. He hadn't felt like it would be _right_ to barge in on such a private affair, and even told Kotetsu that.  
  
"Maybe..." Kotetsu had agreed, laughing a little, before turning away. He'd looked a bit dejected, but Barnaby had insisted (to himself) how it was only right to turn down his offer. And besides, what Kotetsu needed was unadulterated time with his family. If he, Kotetsu's partner from work, was there, then Kotetsu wouldn't have left his work back at Stern Bild completely.  
  
If Barnaby was being honest then, he would have gone after Kotetsu and offered to come with him after all. If he had, he thought more often than not nowadays, then it was likely Kotetsu would be here _now_.  
  
Two and a half years ago, Kotetsu had gone on what was supposedly a trip to his home town to celebrate a birthday in the family, and never came back. It wasn't an impromptu retirement. Kotetsu never even made it back to Oriental Town. He, the other Heroes had agreed after six months of fruitless searching, seemed like he had vanished into thin air...  
  
Barnaby never believed that. Kotetsu didn't have the power to vanish into thin air. Something had to have happened.  
  
Even if it took another twenty years of his life, Barnaby Brooks Jr. vowed to solve the mystery behind Kotetsu's disappearance. And hopefully, at the end of it, he'd be able to find his partner as well; dead or alive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karina meets a familiar face in the streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is un-betaed. Apologies in advance for any grammatical errors ahead!

Surprisingly enough, Kotetsu did have a will. Due to the nature of their work, all Heroes were _encouraged_ to have some sort of will stating what should be done in the event of their untimely deaths. It wasn't mandatory, and it was mostly for the sake of giving their sponsors an idea of what to do: Whether to tell their relatives (who could be unknowing of their true profession) the truth, or to leave them in the dark. None of the heroes had really pegged Kotetsu as someone who would have drafted something so morbid, even if it was encouraged, but a few days after the search for Kotetsu was officially called off, Judge Petrov personally came to Hero TV's headquarters to deliver a single-page letter.  
  
Kotetsu's writing was neat, surprisingly so, and a hybrid of cursive and print. Within the letter, he explained how he wanted Antonio to have guardianship of Kaede if the latter was 'okay' with it (the letter went on to talk about he’d had a discussion with Antonio about it so it should be fine, _don’t be mad Bunny_ ), and then there was the division of his possessions: Barnaby was to get one of his hats ( _Just to see if he’d look good in it)_ , and a pin from NC 1978, while the rest were to be divided between family and friends.  
  
None of them had wanted to touch Kotetsu's things then, voicing their firm belief that Kotetsu was still alive _somewhere_ , so Barnaby and Nathan collaborated together for the long-term storage of Kotetsu's possessions.  
  
On the matter of Kaede: Muramasa, Kotetsu's older brother personally came to Stern Bild a few days later to discuss how it would be done. In the end, they agreed that while Antonio was to get official and lawful guardianship (in honor of Kotetsu's wishes), Kaede was free to go back and forth between Stern Bild and Oriental Town. It was, also, ultimately Kaede's decision if she wanted to continue her studies in Stern Bild or her hometown.  
  
"That Kotetsu—" Muramasa was heard saying after reading his younger brother's will. "I'm not angry. He clearly doesn't want to burden us anymore. When will he understand that he's family and that's why it's fine to be a bother?"  
  
For most of the Heroes present when Muramasa made that statement, it was a glimpse of the kind of Kotetsu they never saw: A man who often distanced himself from others, while he actively helped them and who preferred to carry his own burdens, not realizing that he was also burdening his friends by doing so.

* * *

 

>   
>   
>     _Waiting for you Ka-chan! (^0^)/ Don't forget my competition!_

  
  
Karina had been on her way to the ice-skating arena with her friends from high school when her cell phone sounded. It was Kaede reminding her of the Stern Bild Youths ice skating competition.

Kotetsu’s daughter had moved to Stern Bild a year after his disappearance. Nowadays, she was attending Karina’s old school and living with Antonio. Her new living arrangement meant she had plenty of time to spend with Karina and the other currently-active Heroes. Kaede thought it was perfect especially since she had plans to become a Hero like her father one day. Karina sometimes wondered if Kotetsu would have been okay with that.

 

>   
>      _Be there! Emily and Jane are coming too!_

  
Karina was just about to put her cell phone back inside her bag when Jane tugged at her sleeve and pointed, discreetly, in front of them, "Ara— Karina... that guy on the street. I think I saw him a few blocks away— do you think he's following us?"  
  
"Huh? _That_ guy?" Karina blinked at the general Jane was pointing at but found nothing familiar. There were people, of course, but nothing really screamed dodgy. Except maybe that guy in the hideous grey bucket hat… but even that guy didn't exactly scream dodgy as much as he screamed country bumpkin.  
  
" _That_ guy!" Jane insisted, still pointing discreetly in the general direction of north.  
  
" _Which_ guy?!"  
  
" _That_ guy! The one right there!"  
  
"There's more than one guy, Jane!"  
  
"I-I'm not pointing him out in the middle of the street, that's embarrassing!"  
  
"Well, I won't know which it is!"  
  
Emily huffed at them. "The guy with the grey hat— The one twirling around—"  
  
" _Twirling around_?" Karina didn't believe her at first, but just as she looked ahead again, she did spot someone walking backwards, forwards, and spinning a little while he held the ridiculous bucket hat on his head in place. It was _that_ country bumpkin. He wasn't exactly twirling, but it wasn't a stretch of the imagination to think that he had been when she wasn't looking.  
  
They stared at him. The guy would somehow duck into an alley and then walk back before going forward— towards them.  
  
"I don't think he's following us, Jane. Do you seriously think _that_ person can follow anything?" Emily pointed out. Karina nodded sadly—if anything, he looked lost. Very lost. Maybe even drunk judging by how he was going back and forth.  
  
Eventually, the man stopped walking. His shoulders slumped, he began walking straight in one direction and Karina got a feeling that it wasn’t because he was sure that was the right way or anything but because it was better than milling around aimlessly at one spot. It was sad to watch, really.  
  
"So, uh, are we going to help him at least? It looks like he'll, you know, fall off the edge or something if we don't watch him," Jane said, tugging at Karina’s sleeve and giving her expectant looks.  
  
"With the way he looks right now, that seems likely... Not many cities aside from Stern Bild have city floors. He's probably disoriented by the city's layout."  
  
"Karina?"  
  
Jane tugged at her sleeves some more.  
  
Karina looked at her friends in disbelief. "W-why am I being volunteered? Besides, Kaede'll yell at all of us if we miss her competition!"  
  
"And tomorrow, it'll be on the news: Citizen fell off the second city floor— A tragic death." Emily nodded.  
  
"Would they even bother to put _that_ on the news? A lot of people—"  
  
"Ano—"  
  
"—well, not a lot, but it's _not_ going to happen. Nobody is falling off-"  
  
"Karina..." Jane was tugging at her sleeve harder.  
  
"the edges or anything ridiculous like that! They'd have to be _idiots_ for that to happ—"  
  
"Ano... uh... I guess I _am_ an idiot..."  
  
Karina hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings while vehemently refusing the idea of approaching the strange country bumpkin, so she shrieked when she finally did notice that the man, the country bumpkin, had ended up approaching them.  
  
"Karina... what do we do? What if he heard us?"  
  
The country bumpkin scratched the head of his back a bit. No, they quickly realized, he didn't seem like he'd heard. "Um. I hate to ask young ladies like you for direction— I mean, it's probably pretty sketchy if an old man like me approaches you out of the blue— But— uh"  
  
Karina frowned at the strange country bumpkin. She couldn't make up his face at all, so that didn't make the situation any better. If he'd been an idiot earlier, now, he was slowly edging closer to _pervert_.  
  
"Er," He seemed to have noticed because then, the man removed his hat and scrunched it up in his hands. "See! I was supposed to meet my er— a friend at Fortress Tower, but er... all the streets kind of look the same, and the Building... even the people... and the map didn't make any sense at all— so... Ahaha... Miss..es! Can you please show me the way? I promise to make it worth your while..." And then, realizing how awkward that sounded, he quickly added. “I meant that in a totally non-perverted way, by the way!”  
  
Despite the stranger’s last-minute save, Emily and Jane made absolutely disgusted sounds anyway. Karina was about to make a smart quip about his poor choice of words too but whatever it was she’d wanted to say was all but lost as she took a good look at that face.

It was a face with a familiar set of brown eyes that she hadn’t seen in more than two years. He looked older, slightly more weathered and, maybe, paler than Karina remembered him. There was also the absence of his trademark Mr. Legend-style beard. But despite that and especially with the way he smiled and looked absolutely helpless — _Stupid_ , even — it was _him._ His voice too— Karina realized now— was _his_. Even if she hadn’t heard it in years, she’d know that voice anywhere.

Somehow. _Somehow,_ the man in front of him was none other than Kotetsu T. Kaburagi.

"Ah— ah—"  
  
She found it difficult to do anything else but stare as she tried to figure out if the person she was seeing in front of her was real or not.

 

* * *

  
  
  
"Hey old man! Take responsibility! Whatever you did put her in this— in this shock! Take it back!"  
  
"Huh, why me? I was just asking directions... 's not like I did anything..."  
  
"Then explain why Karina's like that! If she doesn't go back to normal, I swear, w-we're going to call the police!"  
  
" _Karina?_ Karinaaa!"  
  
When Karina came to again, the old man was still there, no, _Kotetsu_ was looking at him worriedly and Emily and Jane were shaking her together. Her phone was ringing too. For a moment, she wasn't sure what to do first, answer the phone or _talk_.  
  
"I- I'm fine..." Karina managed to say as she pushed Jane and Emily away and stared at Kotetsu again.  
  
"Karina! You're back! I thought we'd lost you!" Jane clapped her hands happily. "Now I don't have to tell Kaede some old man put you into shock in the middle of the street!"  
  
"Hey, nobody did anything like that! I was just asking for directions! Besides, I'm not interested in—!"  
  
"You're—" Karina  
  
"Me?" Kotetsu pointed at himself and then nodded. "Uh...I'm lost... Yeah... Did you remember?"  
  
"No, you're—"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
 _"Kotetsu..."_ Karina muttered, and then studied Kotetsu's face. It didn't look like he had _an idea_. Not that he actually looked like he had _any idea_ about things then, but there was no familiarity in that face. It looked like he... didn't know anything at all. Didn't know Karina...  
  
Her mouth opened in silent realization, something that 'Kotetsu' spotted easily.  
  
"Uh. Miss?"  
  
Finally, Karina shook her head, and then turned to Jane and Emily. "I'm sorry, I- I need to help this person get to Fortress Tower. Tell Kaede I'll try to make it. It's something really— " she stole a glance at 'Kotetsu', who didn't seem to notice. “—really important. I think."  
  
"Karina...?"  
  
"Please!" Karina grabbed 'Kotetsu's hand then, leading him towards the general direction of Fortress Tower, before Jane and Emily could say anything else.

 

* * *

  
  
"So, in the end, was it my charming good looks that made you change your mind?"  
  
'Kotetsu' asked casually as they walked towards Fortress Tower. It was nostalgic, and just like Karina would have years ago, she easily debunked his question.  
  
"Who would find an old and...," she looked at him up and down "probably dirty... man like you attractive?!" The words came easily, like she was reading off a prepared script. If Kotetsu had asked the same question years ago, that's how she would have answered. Deep down though was a tumult of emotions. She'd had the biggest crush on this man years ago and had been devastated when he'd disappeared... Her feelings might have cooled off but part of her would always, probably, hold something for this strange old man.  
  
She didn't look up at him. That was Kotetsu's face, alright. It had to be Kotetsu.  
  
He laughed a little, that familiar laugh that preceded Kotetsu admitting he was really an old man, or an idiot, or being too nosy. "You know, I wonder that too."  
  
"But, hey, it looks like the person who said there's someone for everyone... somewhere... is right," Kotetsu added, 'recovering' from the melancholic tone he'd taken on the previous statement. "Hey, you're suddenly silent!"  
  
"Because I'm thinking!" Karina automatically fired back.  
  
"Thinking about your boyfriend... eh, is he gonna be jealous when he finds out you're with a strange old man you met off the street?"  
  
Karina stopped and shot Kotetsu a look. She opened her mouth. ' _You should know!_ ' she wanted to yell, but bit back the words and huffed.  
  
"Okay. So I was wrong... but hey, if it helps, you'll probably get a boyfriend or two easily! I mean, you're not exactly bad-loo—"  
  
"Nobody asked for your opinion..." Karina murmured.

“Haha, gotcha.” Kotetsu was quiet after that and if he spoke it was to ask about random things they saw on the way to Fortress Tower instead. It was as if this was his first time out in the streets of Stern Bild. Karina had thought he was a country bumpkin when he first saw him but seeing the man’s face and certainly made it hard to believe that he was at all new to Stern Bild. With every interested ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ that came from Kotetsu, however, Karina was becoming convinced that this really was his first time here.

They had to take a bus to Fortress Tower. Fortunately for Karina, Kotetsu had money on him though it did make her wonder what he was doing on foot. “I, er, really wasn’t sure about the transit,” was his unhelpful excuse and Karina bluntly told him how lucky he was she was willing to help a random stranger on the street. (Even if he wasn’t exactly a completely random stranger for her by any stretch of imagination.)  
  
"This—"  
  
"This is Fortress Tower," Karina said quietly once they were in the lobby. While 'Kotetsu' was looking around excitedly, Karina mustered the strength to ask if _he_ really was Kotetsu.  
  
"You— you're not really-" she began, only to be cut off.  
  
"Taiga!"  
  
Karina had been looking down, sure that Kotetsu was right beside her and that he would be able to hear her when she spoke, but when she looked back up, she saw that he'd begun walking towards another man.  
  
If 'Kotetsu' had looked like a country bumpkin, the other man looked every bit a city-person in his expensive white suit and carefully styled blond hair. He wore silver-rimmed glasses that made him come off as sophisticated and professional. If Karina had to draw a comparison between this man and someone she knew, then that comparison would be made with Barnaby...  
  
"Anyway, this lady helped me get here— Sorry for being late," Karina didn't notice it, but 'Kotetsu' had walked back to where she was, with his friend beside him. He introduced her, "This is Karina... though, I, er didn't get her surname."  
  
"Typical Taiga," The man extended a hand towards her. "I'm Adrian Milo Scifo. Thank you for getting Taiga here safely."  
  
He shot 'Kotetsu' — _Taiga_ — a look, though it wasn't one of irritation as far as Karina could see. "So, of the eight million people to get as a guide in Stern Bild, you get a cute young lady. Are you replacing me so late in the game now?"  
  
'Kotetsu' seemed to take it into stride, smiling apologetically. "Actually, I was hoping you'd see what you're missing."  
  
The smile on Adrian's face seemed to waver a bit, but it was so quick Karina wasn't sure if it had really happened. He turned to Karina. "I hope you don't take it to heart. My _fiancé_ doesn't know what he's worth sometimes."  
  
"H-hey! Putting it out like that, isn't that bad—"  
  
"Your age is showing, Taiga. Nowadays, a gay actor isn't anything to scoff at."  
  
"You're... with him-" An actor? Fiance? Karina's head was spinning.  
  
"Yes. Due to be married in a month's time. If you wish to spread it to the tabloids, you're free to do so. I'd been looking for an opportunity to have it out soon enough, anyway." He flashed Karina a charming smile, before grabbing Kotetsu by the arm and leading him away. "Now come! Our table awaits, Taiga. Though, first, let's have you changed in the suit I picked out... How was putting our house in order—"  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Karina had been so caught up in all the revelations that she almost didn't realize they were leaving. When she did, however, she was caught up in the moment and found herself almost frantically digging into her bag for her cell phone as she went after them.  
  
"A- a picture! The two of you... can I have them please? And... a signature! From Ad- Mr. Scifo!"  
  
The latter had been an afterthought, but one that she realized would've made sense. Adrian didn't seem to suspect anything as he stopped and walked back towards Karina. Fortunately for her, 'Kotetsu' followed him.  
  
"I- I promise I won't tell anyone!" she added hastily as she, after fumbling some more into her bag, produced a small notebook and a pen.  
  
Adrian smiled as he accepted the notebook and pen. "I understand. Though even if you did tell, I would not mind at all..."  
  
And while Adrian signed a page of her notebook, Karina couldn't help but sneak glances at 'Kotetsu'...  
  
'Taiga'— it sounded close enough to 'Tiger', didn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't decided what month this should be set in, to be honest. Do figure-skating competitions happen in the Summer/Spring?


End file.
